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Early morning practices were not Yuuri’s forte, and this morning was no exception. What little leg room there used to be at the end of his bed was taken up by a fluffy brown lump Yuuri assumed to be Makka. He huffed a laugh quietly as he rubbed the gunk of sleep from his eyes. His alarm was still buzzing accusingly on his nightstand, and looked as if it would vibrate off of the flat surface at any moment. Yuuri reached over to silence it and groaned at the stiffness and soreness in his muscles and joints. Yesterday had been an intense practice, and Yuuri had no idea what to expect from this new day ahead of him.
Ridding his head of fog was harder than usual as he got dressed; he made a promise to himself, as he stretched his arms above his head, that he would take a nice long soak when the day was done. He put his shirt on inside out, not noticing his mistake but grumbling all the while, and let his mind wander as he coasted through the mundane tasks that would eventually get him out of the door. Makka was energetic and demanded to accompany Yuuri on his run to the rink that morning.
“Morning!” Yuuri called to the fisherman he and Victor passed almost every day.
“Good morning Yuuri! I see you’ve got the dog to yourself!” The fisherman responded as Yuuri continued down the path.
“Not for long!” Yuuri said smiling. The fisherman smiled, crinkling his face and returned to his line.
It was true; once Yuuri and Makkachin met up with Victor, Yuuri wouldn’t be quite so captivating to the dog, and Yuuri had accepted it at this point. No matter how much Makka loved Yuuri, he would always love Victor just a little bit more. It reminded Yuuri belatedly on their run of the way Vicchan was with him and his sister Mari. On long nights when Yuuri couldn’t sleep, he would go to a little bench outside the onsen where he knew his older sister took smoke breaks, and they would chat into the early hours of the morning; all the while Vicchan snoozed on Mari’s lap. But when it was time to start the day, Vicchan was Yuuri’s and only Yuuri’s.
Walking into the rink Yuuri could finally feel his head start to clear, and eagerly led Makka through the familiar hallways. When they neared the ice, Makkachin broke free from Yuuri’s side and sidled up to the half wall that surrounded the ice. His barks echoed throughout the empty rink, but still didn’t capture the attention of the target.
Victor, alone on the ice, was doing compulsories with music blasting from his headphones. Yuuri took the brief moment to appreciate Victor carving patterns into the ice and hearing the push and glide of the skates echo in the grandness of the empty room. The isolated sound paired with the cool air sent a chill up Yuuri’s spine and pinked his cheeks. Feeling calm, he set to his skates so he could meet his coach out on the ice.
Once on the ice, Yuuri managed to break Victor from his reverie and skated up to him, stopping just inches away. A smile filled Victor’s face as the glaze disappeared from his eyes. Victor quickly closed the distance and embraced Yuuri, depleting any cold Yuuri may have carried with him from outside. Releasing him from the embrace, Victor pulled back only to place a gloved hand to Yuuri’s cheek.
“Did you sleep well?” Victor asked analyzing Yuuri’s face. It was true; Yuuri had been sleeping terribly lately with the pressure of the Grand Prix looming over his head.
“Surprisingly, yes.” Yuuri said giving him a reassuring smile. Victor visibly lost the tension in his shoulders and stroked his thumb across Yuuri’s cheekbone. Yuuri placed a hand over Victor’s and took it to interlock their fingers. “What’s on the books today?”
“We need to start working on your exhibition piece at some point.” Victor said after thinking it over. “Any thoughts?”
“Hm, not really. I’ve been pretty burnt out lately, but I’m up for suggestions!” Yuuri said trying for enthusiasm. They made their way over to the side of the rink when Victor realized that Yuuri had a special friend in tow, and apologized to Makkachin for not giving him kisses immediately. Makkachin didn’t seem to mind.
“You’re in a lovey mood aren’t you boy?” Victor said as he was assaulted by doggy kisses. When he stood to say something to Yuuri, Makka laid his front paws on Victor’s chest and whined at the loss of his best friend. “What is it?” Victor said puzzled. Makkachin danced his paws against Victor’s chest and hopped slightly on his hind legs.
“I think he wants you to pick him up. Does he do that a lot?” Yuuri said curious.
Victor’s brow furrowed at the response. “Not for a long time.” He said and redirected his attention to the dog. The way Makkachin was demanding attention was exactly like Vicchan, and it made Yuuri’s heart swell. “Do you want me to hold you lyubov?” This got Makka going and his little paws danced faster than ever. Victor beamed and gathered the big ball of fluff into his arms. Makka was immediately contented. He rested his head on Victor’s shoulder which made Yuuri want to pet him immediately.
“Aw, he’s so cute! It reminds me of Vicchan.” Yuuri said sentimentally. Victor had the kind of lightness in his face that startled Yuuri; the last time Yuuri had seen Victor with that look was when Yuuko showed him the article that inspired him to adopt Vicchan in the first place. The article was a cute fluff piece telling the world about Victor Nikiforov’s new dog. Yuuri remembered the sparkle in Victor’s smile as he hugged the dog in the picture, and the sheen in the ponytail that swung freely behind him. It’s true that Yuuri got Vicchan because Victor had a dog, but it was also true that Yuuri wanted to feel the same way Victor did when that picture was taken.
Victor showered his dog in kisses and swayed around like they were dance partners. Yuuri giggled which only gave Victor more ammunition to keep going. He carefully got back onto the ice and did a silly parody of a waltz with his dog in his arms. Yuuri’s giggles were met to echo Victor’s as they enjoyed their early morning together. Victor held Makka over his head and spun in place, beaming the whole time and it struck a chord in Yuuri he hadn’t expected.
“Alright don’t get carried away Victor!” Yuuri called as he cupped a hand around his mouth. Victor looked over, smiled, and clutched Makkachin to his chest before gliding over to Yuuri.
“Can you blame me?” Victor said passing Makka to Yuuri so Victor could more easily step off the ice.
Yuuri laughed and shook his head in response. “No, of course not.” Yuuri set Makka safely onto the floor and turned to see that the lightness in Victor’s face had faded into nostalgia, and Yuuri could see the way Victor looked at Makka like no time had passed, and he’d only gotten the dog days ago. “Do you mind if I ask a stupid question?”
“Not at all! Though I doubt anything you have to ask would be as such zoloste.” Victor said softly.
“What made you want a dog?” Yuuri asked as he sat on the bench near the rink entrance. Victor made to sit next to him, but was beat by Makkachin who decided to claim the entire rest of the bench. Victor smiled and sat on the floor next to the bench instead.
“To be quite honest, I was lonely and I needed a friend.” Victor said as he aimlessly pet his dog.
“I guess I can understand that.” Yuuri said. “Can I ask another stupid question?”
“Oh Yuuri, you can ask me anything.” Victor said looking at him affectionately.
“Do you think… do you think you would want to make my exhibition skate a pair skate? Like between the two of us?” Yuuri said apprehensively. A moment passed. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to of course, it’s just a stupid idea. I shouldn’t have said anything don’t worry about it!” Yuuri said attempting to brush it off. Victor began to close the distance between them and clasped Yuuri’s hands in his.
“I would love nothing more than that dorogoy.” Victor said, cheeks flushed. Yuuri blushed in return and felt a surge of relief. It was hard to ask for what he wanted, but he was glad he had the courage to try.